As the world grapples with the largest displacement since World War II, we must rethink how we talk about the refugee crisis. The word itself carries connotations of alarm and panic, predisposing people to negative responses, even if they do not match the reality. We also need to change the way we think about refugees and migrants, and how we treat them.
For example, we need to stop treating migrants and refugees as a threat that needs to be managed, instead of people who can contribute to our society. Rather than pushing them away with stricter vetting processes, we must invest in them with education, housing and jobs, so they can live with dignity in the countries where they are hosted. And we must do everything we can to fight xenophobia and discrimination, which only creates fear of the other and fuels conflict.
The world’s most displaced people are not in camps: they are living and working in cities, towns and villages, but the lack of opportunity means they do not have the same access to the same services. As regular IRIN columnist Paul Currion points out, the solution lies in creating jobs, not closing borders or pushing people back to the places from which they fled.
There are some great examples of this – the ‘compact’ struck with Jordan is one, as are the offers of interest-free loans and tariff- and quota-free exports to Europe for manufacturers willing to hire a certain percentage of Syrians. But this can only happen if wealthy nations take their responsibility and increase the numbers of refugees they resettle.
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